As we close out our third weekend of the young season, there's another great slate of baseball look forward to on this mid-April Sunday. One top matchup to watch is between the Atlanta Braves and the Kansas City Royals. Heading into Saturday's games, the Braves hold a record of 10-4 and are the early leaders in the NL East, while the Royals have started the season at just 4-10. Understandably, odds makers have Atlanta as a decent road favorite here. Let's break it all down below:
The Atlanta Braves have opened their season hot, starting with a robust record of 10-4. Hopes are high for the Braves this season, as they are looking to win their second World Series in the last three years. They have been particularly hot as of late, having won 4 straight games, heading into Saturday. Across those 4 wins, they've been averaging nearly 7 runs per game. Offense has been carrying the Braves all season long, as they are third in the National League in runs scored. As a team, they are batting .272 with a fantastic team OPS of .812. They are being lead by their stars, Outfielder Ronald Acuna and First Baseman Matt Olson, both of whom are mashing to start the year. They aren't the only ones, however, as Atlanta currently has 5 batters with OPS above .900 so far this season (min 35 AB). The Braves also support the third best run differential in the National League at +17 on the season. While their offense has been carryin g them, their pitching has gotten the job done as well.
If you like watching Braves players hit home runs then you will enjoy tonight's game recap.#ForTheA pic.twitter.com/7dw5UQ0QEB
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 15, 2023
Taking the mound for Atlanta in this one is the righty, Kyle Wright. Wright struggled in his season debut this year, but is coming off of a stellar 2022 campaign that saw him post a 3.19 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across 180.1 innings, while striking out 174. Despite his rough first start, there's no reason to doubt Wright isn't the same pitcher he was last year.